Initiatives represent a step in a positive direction for the rail sector

Two notable transportation electrification (TE) initiatives in California should be on people’s radar. First, the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) is beginning to implement policies that increase its use of renewable energy.

As part of Volkswagen’s $14.7 billion federal settlement for the use of illegal smog check defeat devices in its 2009-15 diesel cars, the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) offers planning recommendations for states to consider when deciding how to allocate their portion of the funding based on recommendations submitted to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) during the recent public comm

The City of Oakland’s reputation as a progressive city working toward a clean energy future would have been seriously compromised if plans to build a coal export facility on the old Oakland Army Base had gone forward (see: Coal Exports from Oakland's Ports, Bad Business).

The current proposal to allow coal exports to China and other parts of Asia through Oakland port facilities represents fundamentally poor policy masquerading as an economic strategy for job creation. In fact, it is a step profoundly in the wrong direction for California and the nation in terms of sustainable economic and environmental initiatives.

In the final days of the 2015 California legislative session, Senate Bill (SB) 350, the Golden State Standards Bill, which primarily sets a 50% renewable portfolio standard (RPS) for the state’s electric utilities, became the center of great debate.

A carbon-free rail system could “pull” California to clean energy goals

When Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 502 (Leno) into law on August 7, allowing the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) to procure energy directly from eligible renewable energy providers, it not only supported BART's efforts to clean up and modernize its energy portfolio, but also set the stage for expanding transportation sustainability goals statewide.